Moistureproof street marker



Oct. 5, 1937. Q, H, HERSHMAN 2,094,652

MOISTUREPROOFl STREET MARKER Filed May 17, 1935 I INVENTOR. UAA/fr #fk5/wam ATTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 5, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MoIfs'rUREPRoo-F STREET MARKER OakleyHL Hershman, Indianapolis, Ind.

Application May 17, 1935, SerialNo. 21,925

Claims.

`This invention relates to ajstreet marker or traino signal device, particularly lthattype of re'- flector mounting adapted for use on pavements to indicate the center or dividing line of the traffic 5lanes. One' feature* of` the invention resides.' in the Waterip'roof, resilient' baokingjmountedj within theI housing or castingforfyieldingly maintaining thereflector buttons in I uositionfv I n this conrnarkers 4is dueto the accumulationand packing of street dirt in and aboutthe markers. If the reflector buttons'a're extended-'to protrude beyond thesurfac'e ofthe marker, as illustrated herein, itis necessary that they be free' to reciprocate thereinso'thatthey'rnay readily give in-'event of being struck lby "the traine, andbreakage therebyY since it is essential that thebutton be freeto reciprocate, it must be loosely mounted within thecasting siasnot to lock'therewith by reason of corrosion and the packing of dirt accumu' lated thereabout.

It is, therefore, one object of this vinvention to timebe unaffected by accumulation of dirt and water, the backingserving as a seal against such accumulation adjacent "the button or between op positely disposed buttons. This is accomplished byfproviding a rubberspacing or sealing block', as will'be hereinaftermore specifically set forth and described.

`Another object of the' invention is' to provide a wiper'A associatedtwith the lensjof the buttonin such 'mannerthat it will resiliently press-against aportion of the surface thereof. The'arra'ngement ofthebutton and mounting issuchthat as trafficpasses overit'and thetires of the vehicle engage the surface of thebutton it will becaused to slightly rotate.V Asjit rotates; thejwiper will remove dirt or dust accumulated on the lens and poli-'shitso astokeep it'clean at alltirnes; This arrangement'fis very' essential to preserve there- 5'5M flectirigeiciencyofthemarker? Iiectionfthe principal problem inherent in such' provide a Yresilientbacking for the buttons which will servejas a yielding support and at the same' Another feature of the invention resides init-he provision of a projection orlug extending down- Wardly from the bodyand base of the casting to a point below the'road surface and, accor` d ingly, protecting the casting'against',destruction'y by road Scrapers or snow plows. Thus, without such lip, the scraper or snow plow, striking the edge of the marker, will'tear it from tl1e pave A ment, Whereas, by reason'thereof, the scraper will be carried over the' marker.

Another feature of the invention resides in the shape and positioning ofthe marker to best protect it against destruction by trafc, scrapers and the like, while, at the same time, providing a reflecting surface effective overa Wide areaiirthe` direction best suitedtd the oncoming traiiic.

Where the marker is employed on curves, its form is so arranged as ito meet the requiredconditions by'providing the' bumperor intermediate resilient sealingmernber and housingA therefor with a` slight and corresponding curvature.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawing and the following description and claims:

Fig. lis a plan view'of the marker as applied to a straight roadway. Fig. 2 is a sectional View taken on the line 2-2 ofFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section'taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4

` is the same as Fig. 2 showing amodiiied form. Figo `is av perspective view of the `sealingbumper of Fig-. 4. Fig. 6 is the same as Fig. l showing a modified form of the marker adapted for a' curved roadway. 1nV the drawing,- there is illustrated a road marker comprising a casting formed with a base Ijand a. central housing Il enclosing a chamber I3. Formed in theyhousing there are oppos'itely disposedjcylindrical ports I d in whichthe reflector;buttons are freely and slidably n rountecl The reflector button comprises a'cylindrical metal barrel l5 havinga'lens 'i6 on one end'and a flanged base il on; the other end. The'housingl l is provided With'such abutton at each end thereof between which there is a cylindrical solid rubber'bumper Itmounted yin the chamber I3 andextending longitudinally' th ereof Said rubber bumper is slightly compressed bet\veer 'the flanged bases Il of the buttons'soas to exertan outward pressure thereagainst, thus holding them in operative position with their rlenses'protruding from the housing' |I Oppositelyv disposedto one side of the respective buttonsfthere are the lnecessary'bolt openings I9 in th'e base li'ifrsellng the ,marke .toiles Pavement Extending'voutwardly from' the'upper portion of the housing II and sloping downwardly to the extended portion of the base there is provided a rib or shoulder 2i) which acts as a guard to protect the button against the ordinary passage of traffic over the marker. As will be noted in Fig. 1, this shoulder extends slightly at an angle to the line of traffic instead of being in the same direction thereof. This is for protective purposes so that traffic operating in a direct line will strike the marker to one side of the shoulder and be carried up over the housing instead of striking the end of the housing and button just to one side of the shoulder, as would result if the shoulder extended in the direct line of the traflic.

Formed on the underside of the casting and exedge of the base.V

In the modified form of Figs. 4 and 5, in place of the cylindrical rubber bumper I8, there is a box-like bumper IIB having recessed ends |22 and hollow on the inside, as indicated at |23. The chamber H3 and bumper |I3 are formed rectangular in shape so that said bumper ts snugly and tightly within the chamber with the open side thereof adjacent the top. The entire chamber I I3 is sealed and protected from water, dirt and the like, while the relatively thin wall separating the recess |22 from the open part |23 provides a resilient bumper for the buttons.

For the purpose of wiping the lens and thereby maintaining its surface free of dirt and mud to preserve its reflecting character the bumper I I8 is provided with oppositely extending resilient rubber plates |24 having their ends upturned as indicated at |25 and provided with the concave wiping surfaces |26. The surfaces |26 are adapted to bear against the surfaces of the buttons under a resilient tension. Thus, the distance between the surfaces I2 is a little shorter than the distance between the surfaces of the buttons so that there is always a tension therebetween, as will be readily understood. As a vehicle passes over the marker, the rubber tires engage one side of the lens, pressing it down and causing a partial rotation. Such repeated partial rotations resulting from trafc passing over the marker will result in the wiping action above referred to. In order that the button may more freelyn rotate, a metal disc |27 may be inserted in the recess |22 and the rear end of the button may be provided with a thrust bearing projection II'I. As distinguished from the lips 2|, shown in Fig. 2, the base of the casting may be provided with a cleat I2| adapted to extend under the surface of the pavement and be anchored therein. With this arrangement, the shoulder |29 is caused to slope downwardly to the surface of the pavement so as to be directly engaged by any road scraper.

In the modified form illustrated in Fig. 6, the marker is shown designed for a curved line of trac, wherein the chamber 2 I3 is slightly curve-d as well as the housing 2| As a result thereof, the rubber bumper mounted in the chamber, naturally, takes a curved position, which it may readily do. With this form, the buttons I6, and shoulders 22|! are disposed in planes extending at a buttons and their mountings.

slight angle to each other so as to be accommodated to the curved trafiic line.

As illustrated herein, oppositely disposed shoulders 2M may be formed on opposite sides of the buttons with respect to the shoulders 220 to provide a further guard therefor when the marker is used withV other than straight line traffic.

As illustrated in the several modifications, either a straight arrow or a curved arrow, as in Fig. 6, may be cast upon the upper surface of the housing to indicate the line of traffic, for enabling the marker to be properly positioned and directed.

By reason of the above described construction, the difficulty resulting from packing of mud, dirt and the like within the housing or surrounding exterior of the buttons is eliminated so far as it affects the proper operation and resiliency of the VFurther protection is given to the buttons by reason of the shoulders and protection is also given to the marker itself by reason ofthe lip 2| and cleats I2I.

The invention claimed is:

l. A traffic marker comprising a housing provided with an opening at each end, an exposed reflector button slidably mounted in each of said openings, means on said buttons engageable with said housing tov limit their outward movement and a compressibl'e rubber member mounted within said housing between said buttons and yieldingly wedging said buttons in exposed position while permitting retraction thereof, said member being adapted to prevent accumulation and packing of matter intermediate said buttons for permitting their free retractive movement.

2. A traffic marker comprising a casting having a central barrel-like housing provided with an annular opening at each end thereof, and an intermediate chamber open at the bottom, cylindrically formed reflector buttons slidably mounted in said openings and provided with flanged base portions abutting the interior of said housing to limit the outward movement of said buttons while permitting retraction thereof, and a rubber sealing member wedged under compression between the enlarged base portions of said buttons to yieldingly permit inward retractive movement thereof while preventing obstruction thereto by the packing of dirt or the like within Vthe chamber.

3. A traffic marker comprising a casting having a central barrel-like housing provided with an annular opening at each end thereof and an intermediate chamber open at the bottom, cylindrically-formed reflector buttons slidably mounted in said openings and provided with flanged base portions abutting the interior of said housing to limit the outward movement of said buttons while permitting retraction thereof, and a block of compressble expanding material wedged under compression between the enlarged base portions of said buttons to yieldingly permit inward retractive movement thereof while causing one of said buttons to yieldingly maintain the other button in its outward exposed position.

4. A traffic marker for a paved surface comprising a housing and a reflector button mounted therein, said button including a cylindrical support mounted in said housing for rotation about its longitudinal axis and a protruding lens carried thereby, said button extending from said housing in position to be engaged by the Vehicle wheels in such manner as to cause rotation thereof, and a wiping member carried by sai-d housing and extending into wiping engagement with a portion of the front surface of said lens, whereby rotation of said lens will cause its surface to be wiped and cleaned thereby.

5. A trafc marker for a paved surface comprising a barrel-like housing, a reector button mounted in each end of said housing, each reiiector button beingV provided `with a cylindrical support mounted in said housing and rotatable about its longitudinal axis, said button also including a lens projecting from said housing and supported thereby in a position to be engaged and rotated by the Vehicle wheels, a yielding member mounted within said housing for yieldingly maintaining said buttons in spaced relation and in their respective forward positions While permitting retraction thereof, and a wiper carried by said housing for engagement with a portion of the front surface of each of said lenses for wiping and cleaning the same upon rotation of the buttons.

Y OAKLEY I-I. HERSHMAN. 

